


Help Me, Help Them

by lunabelle



Category: Parks and Recreation
Genre: Concern, Friendship, Gen, Help, Nervousness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-23
Updated: 2015-08-23
Packaged: 2018-04-16 20:49:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,022
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4639719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lunabelle/pseuds/lunabelle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ron could hear the sadness in her voice as she spoke.  Of all the years he’d known Leslie Knope, the times he’d heard this tone had been few and far between.  He didn’t like hearing it, and would never admit to anyone that it actually unnerved him a great deal.</p><p>Missing scene from "A Beautiful Melody".</p>
            </blockquote>





	Help Me, Help Them

**Author's Note:**

> This is an extra scene from "A Beautiful Melody", featuring the unheard phone conversation between Leslie and Ron.

The little canoe bumped lightly along the shoreline as it was positioned to face the lake. The weather was perfect, the skies were blue, and the water was calm. It was a great day to be outdoors. Breaking into a light jog, Ron Swanson stepped into the canoe quickly as the small wooden structure floated into deeper waters.

Even on his days off, Ron would take advantage of the lake and surrounding park he was charged with maintaining. Aside from being with his family, there was no where in the entire world he would rather be, and for the first time in a long time, he felt proud of his job. He didn’t speak to anyone on his days off, and no one would speak to him. His park rangers would nod in passing, understanding the wishes of their superior to be left in complete solitude. He was never interrupted.

Until today, that is. Ron was caught off guard when his phone started to vibrate. Checking the old-fashioned, button clad device strapped to his belt, he saw a number he didn’t recognize. This took him by surprise for two reasons: one, only his wife and children had this phone number, and maybe a select few of his closest colleagues. Two, it was his day off. No one called him on his day off. He let it vibrate until it stopped of its own accord, and continued his rowing to the center of the lake.

Five minutes passed and the vibration picked up again. Ron groaned. Frustrated, and a little surprised, this time he picked up. He was looking forward to telling whoever it was to go the hell away and never call him again.

“Swanson,” he answered in a gruff voice.

“Ron! Don’t hang up, it’s Leslie.”

“Leslie,” Ron squinted. “ _Why_ are you calling me on my day off, and why didn’t I recognize your number?”

“My phone is dead and I don’t have my charger,” she sounded frantic, like she had little time to spare. “Listen, I need your help. I’m at Andy and April’s house. I’m using their house phone.”

“Andy and April…why are you at their house? I thought you were attending that ridiculous city panning meeting here in Pawnee?”

“Ron, we have a situation. It’s about April.”

There were only a few times in Ron’s life where he felt the way he did in that moment. It was always one of those feelings you couldn’t quite describe at the time, and only when it had passed could you really think about and process it. When he would go back and remember it years later, he could only describe it as cold, nervous dread. Ron would always remember those few times.

After a short pause, he spoke. “What kind of a situation?”

“April is sick, Ron. She’s in the hospital. She’s really sick with a bad case of the flu and…she lost the baby.” 

Ron could hear the sadness in her voice as she spoke. Of all the years he’d known Leslie Knope, the times he’d heard this tone had been few and far between. He didn’t like hearing it, and would never admit to anyone that it actually unnerved him a great deal.

“Is she…all right?” His throat felt a bit constricted. “And Andy?” 

“Sort of. She’s awake, finally, but not eating. Andy is a complete mess.”

“Where are their children?”

“They’re with me. I’ve been here, at their house taking care of them,” Leslie said. 

Almost as if on cue, he heard tiny voices yelling in the background. “Daddy! I want to talk to Daddy!” He knew it was Jack.

“Jack honey, it’s not Daddy. It’s Uncle Ron,” Leslie said soothingly, her voice slightly muffled.

“Leslie, where _is_ Andy?”

“That’s why I’m calling you, Ron. He hasn’t left April’s side, but…he’s blaming himself for everything. He hasn’t been home, and the kids are asking for him. I just left the hospital with them after we all visited April and he’s still there. I don’t know if he’s eating, or sleeping… I’m at the point where I don’t know what I should do, because I can’t take care of all four of them.” She let out a sigh and for a second, Ron could have sworn he heard her voice crack. Whatever he heard, she recovered quick enough and went on. “I need your help…to help them…”

Help. They needed his help. Those two kids who grew up before his eyes in the parks department, who he watched fall in love. Who he watched pledge that same love to one another in front of their closest family and friends. Those two, her with her stoic, silent exterior, not unlike himself, but deep down all love and tenderness and dreams of the future; him with his smiling, constant giddiness, his childlike view of the world, his unwavering loyalty and dedication to those he loved. 

It was hard to imagine them broken. 

“What can I possibly do for them from here?”

“Ron, I need you to get on the next plane out of Pawnee and come here. I need you to talk to Andy.”

“Leslie, I can’t just up and leave. Andrew is a grown man, he’ll…be fine.”

“No, Ron,” Leslie’s voice was low and concerned. “He’s _not_ fine. He’s the opposite of fine. He needs you.”

“Leslie—“

“Ron,” she was angry now. “I swear, this is an emergency, and if you value our friendship at all, you will COME HERE NOW.”

Ron paused for a few moments and looked out at the scenery around him. He let out a deep sigh. “I’m on my way.”

“Thank you, Ron. Truly.” She sounded relieved.

“Leslie, I need you to do me a favor in the meantime.”

“What’s that, Ron?”

He paused and cleared his throat. “Just…continue to take care of those kids. And I mean all four of them. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

Ron hung up and put his phone back on his belt. Picking up his oars, he started back the way he came, heading straight for the shore.


End file.
